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T H E TA S M A NIA N N ATU R A LI ST. 
Hotes on (Digrating-birds* 
By ROBERT HALL, CM./.S. 
i The Swift (Chaetura caudacuta, Lath.) left Tasmania for its 
northern home very late this year. 'That arch enemy of useful birds, the 
domestic cat, actually caught a Swift and as late in the year as April 7th, 
1909. The bird was in poor condition and probably lent itself to easy 
capture. The April of this year was a specially good one ; the air being 
warm and the grass in fine order. This affected the number of insects 
and possibly kept a few of the birds longer in their feeding area. Swifts 
of the present species were noted in Eastern Victoria, on April 10th, of 
this year. 
On April 7th, Dr. J. A. Webster, Launceston, described to me how 
a flock of Spine-tailed Swifts, instead of being nearer Queensland than 
Tasmania were doing damage among his bees. They were crossing and 
circling over his and his neighbour's gardens. Three lines of bees were 
gathering their autumn food. The Swifts were continually breaking into 
these lines as they circled in their albatross-like flight. The bees did not 
appear to attempt to avoid the birds and were killed before they could 
lodge their sting. The Swifts kept returning to the chase. It was a new 
experience for the young bees as the Welcome—and Tree Swallows with 
whom they had been living had not disturbed them The Swifts came 
later to do the damage. Some years ago, near Port Phillip Bay, I 
remember getting a Spine-tailed Swift undergoing a moult. 
2. The Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena, Gld.) did not altogether 
leave Tasmania during the past winter. One pair remained about 
Macquarie Street, Hobart, throughout the year. Quite a number of 
people noted the occurrence from the tops of the trams as they passed 
through the quiet portion of the street. 
On August 10th, 1909, a second pair was observed for the first time, 
this Spring, in Harrington Street, Hobart. There was an old nest a few 
yards away from them, and the birds looking very tired began to plume 
themselves as if they had neglected the duty for days. There were no 
other swallows about that part of the city. It was too early, in an 
ordinary season, for the incoming migrants. This early Spring brought 
many birds to Southern Tasmania soon after the middle of August. 
Mr. J. H. Jenkins came to the Museum to report the fact that his 
swallows had returned to their old home I know of a nest in Southern 
Victoria that has been used and added to during the past eighteen years. 
It may have been ‘entailed’ property. 
An albino specimen was recently brought to the Museum by Mr. P. 
Mitchellmore. A pair of apparently normal birds had a white nestling 
in each of three broods :— 
Brood A showed one white bird in the nest of normal birds. It 
